We research all the brands on the list and our partners may pay us a fee. Financial and research considerations can influence the way brands are displayed. Money Group, LLC T-Mobile District 250 Convention Blvd San Juan, PR 00907 Metro Office Park 7th Street 1, Suite 204 Guaynabo, PR 00968. Here are 12 tips to help you negotiate with contractors more effectively and get a good job at a low price. If they object to your price right after signing a contract and making you start working, protect yourself, get away as soon as possible, know your withholding rights and warn your friends.
Instead of flatly asking your contractor if they will lower their price to take over your business, which could backfire, ask them for advice on how you can control the cost of your plans. However, you save your contacts, set up a folder for contractors and subfolders for specialists, such as plumbers, electricians, HVAC specialists, roofers and general maintenance personnel. When the second contractor arrives at the property, you'll be able to explain not only the symptom of the problem, but also the previous contractor's diagnosis of the cause. Deposits should only be made for items that cannot be returned and that a contractor must purchase for their work or when required by state law.
Most contractors offer to buy the supplies needed for the project and include their cost in the budget, or bill you for them later. If, hypothetically, Roofer X were the only option available and you needed to lower the price without compromising the quality of the execution, then a good option would be to ask what they can remove from the quote to reduce the price. Before signing on the dotted line, you are in a position of power and the contractors want to take over your business. For starters, you're more likely to find the right contractor for the job if you talk to five contractors instead of two.
Certain high-end materials, such as top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances and Italian marble, will increase the price of the project considerably. Whenever you're haggling over someone's work (versus a mass-produced product, such as a car or a flat screen TV), find a way to ask for a lower price without any insult. For example, a contractor who is relatively inactive right now may decide to reduce earnings from this work to keep their employees working. I've heard ads from a local roofer that (supposedly) lowers prices in winter because it's the low season, just to keep their employees working full time.
However, keep in mind that some contractors may do work at a reduced rate when they work for a reduced rate; you rely on the contractor's honesty to keep doing adequate work even at a lower negotiated rate, and in some cases, that won't be the case. HVAC contractors work day and night in the sweltering summer heat and freezing cold of winter, repairing, and replacing furnaces, pipes and air conditioning condensers. For example, in a recent Angie's List survey, more than 80% of contractors indicated that they were willing to lower their prices to get a job. If you ask for a lower price, you might get a lower price, but most companies don't work exclusively for charitable purposes, so I doubt you'll get a product as good as what you would get at the original price.
